Most existing filled articles, such as pillows for example, are filled with insulating material, so that body heat has been retained. This can be an advantage in sleeping bags, and in cold unheated surroundings, but can be a source of discomfort in certain circumstances, for instance in hot weather and/or with feverish patients, particularly if the person may be overweight or otherwise overheated. Because of the insulating advantages of filled bedding and furnishing articles in certain circumstances, such as cold weather and cold surroundings, the disadvantage in heated surroundings has generally hitherto been considered inevitable, but it has long been desirable to improve pillows and other articles, so that they would remain cooler than existing articles.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to provide a "cool pillow", in the sense that the pillow or other furnishing or bedding article would remain cooler than conventional articles during prolonged contact with human bodies.
Polyester fiberfill has long been disclosed and used, alone or in admixture with other materials, as a filling material in pillows and like bedding and furnishing articles, such as cushions, as disclosed by Le Van, U.S. Pat. No 3,510,888, and Tolliver, U.S. Pat. No 3,772,137, by way of example. Polyester fiberfill has many advantages as a filling material, and improvements are constantly being made in this field.
Polyester filaments have been characterized by their extreme hydrophobic character, as mentioned in "Polyester Fibres--Chemistry and Technology", by H. Ludewig--English translation 1971--John Wiley and Sons, Ltd., in Section 11.1.5 on pages 377-378, and also in Section 11.4 on dyeing properties, starting on page 398. Ludewig's book mentions many aspects of polyester fibers and their preparation and properties.
We solve the problem of providing a "cool pillow" by improving the moisture-wicking properties of the polyester filling, and do this in a simple manner that has not been previously suggested.